“Doing it back-to-back weeks is fun,” Holliday said. “We’ll just go back to practice next week and see if we can build on it.”

Mike Pereira, an NFL rules analyst for Fox television, said the return should have been called a fumble and subsequent touchback because Holliday flipped the ball in the air in celebration just before the ball crossed the plane of the goal line.

“It was confirmed,” referee Al Riveron told a pool reporter. “The entire play on a scoring play is reviewed.”

Riveron added he had not talked to the replay officials.

Fox gets game ball. After the Broncos’ victory, owner Pat Bowlen delivered the game ball to coach John Fox.

“I know this one means a lot more to you,” Bowlen said.

Fox was Carolina’s coach for nine years from 2002-10. When his contract wasn’t renewed, Bowlen quickly gave him another one. Fox is 15-12 in his two seasons with the Broncos, counting last year’s postseason run.

“It was a little strange. I had never been in the visitors’ locker room,” Fox said of his return. “All the years I’ve been here as a head coach, I had never been here. But it was great getting back. My sons are still out here going to school, so it was neat seeing family.”

Close calls. Elvis Dumervil’s shoulder strain was the most serious of the Broncos’ injuries Sunday, but they had several other near misses with some of their marquee players .

Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, running back Willis McGahee and linebacker Von Miller also left the game briefly, but all returned. Quarterback Peyton Manning also briefly grabbed his knee after the brace he wears appeared to catch in the grass when he slid after a run in the first half.

Manning didn’t leave the game.

Miller’s had looked the most serious, as his left ankle was rolled up on in a pile during the Panthers’ second possession of the game. He initially grabbed his left ankle and was helped off the field.

He returned a few plays later.

“A guy just rolled up on me. I had to come out,” Miller said. “But they worked on me, and I was able to get back out there and go. It wasn’t as bad as it looked right away.”

Century-mark man. Thomas caught nine passes for 135 yards to reach triple figures for the fifth time this season.

“I’m just doing what they want me to do — beating my defender,” Thomas said. “The offensive line is giving Peyton enough time to throw, and he’s putting the ball on the money.”

Prater’s streak ends. Broncos kicker Matt Prater missed his first field goal of the season — a 43-yarder in the second quarter — to end his streak of 11-for-11, including a 53-yarder earlier in the quarter.

“I hit it pretty good,” Prater said. “There was a little wind today, and I hit it straight, but I hit it a little right and it kept drifting on me. It was a good learning experience.”

Prater made a 27-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Williams returns. D.J. Williams is finally a free man, at least in the court of the NFL. The Broncos’ linebacker served the final day of his nine-game suspension Sunday. He can rejoin the team in all activities starting Monday, although the team won’t start practicing until Wednesday.

Third-down dominance. The Broncos held the Panthers to an 0-for-12 showing on third down. It was just the fourth-time since 1991 the Broncos held an opposing offense without a conversion. Mike Klis, Jeff Legwold and Tom Kensler, The Denver Post

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